


The Best Friend, not the Love Interest

by bumblingbriar (BumblingBriars)



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Fluffy, Gender-neutral Reader, Lee in love is so soft please write more for him fandom, Lord, M/M, Other, a little angsty with a fluffy ending, but it doesnt really go anywhere dw, gai too, honestly i just wanted to make something rather sweet and simple, minimal (y/n), reader is a civilian, there is a little bit of Lee's crush on sakura in here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24768046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BumblingBriars/pseuds/bumblingbriar
Summary: Reader and Lee have been friends since childhood. It's only until they're a bit older does the reader realize their crush, but it's too late.Because Rock Lee has a crush on Sakura Haruno
Relationships: One-sided Rock Lee/Haruno Sakura, Rock Lee/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 83





	The Best Friend, not the Love Interest

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd we die like men

The first time you saw Rock Lee, you two were five-years-old. You weren’t a shinobi-in-training like he, far from it. In fact, you  _ never _ wanted to look at the shinobi career as one you’d go into. 

No, instead you wanted to be a restaurant owner, just like your parents, and your grandparents before you. 

If you haven’t figured out by now, it’s kinda the family business. 

Lee was much quieter as a child, more shy and not very talkative. It wasn’t hard to guess why in the present; the poor boy lost his parents and family as a whole before he even turned one. At the time though, you didn’t know this factoid. 

“What’s wrong?” you ask, sitting next to him on the bench. It was a summer day in Konohagakure, the sun beating down on your skin harshly. Lucky for Lee, he had chosen a rather shady spot under a tree. 

Lee jolts, a pink color flushing his cheeks. He nervously plays with his braid, not looking you in the eye. 

You introduce yourself, holding out a hand for him to shake. 

“Who are you?” you ask kindly, smiling. 

“...Rock Lee,” he finally replies, his voice soft and quiet. He gently takes your hand and you involuntarily flinch slightly; he was the same age as you, right? Why were his hands so firm? Lee thankfully doesn’t notice the flinch, a little bit of a smile bringing up the corners of his mouth. 

Then his stomach growls.

Face flushing a darker red, he pulls his hand away. He looks at the cobblestone path below your feet, clearly anxious at the rumbles of his stomach.

“Are you hungry?” he doesn’t reply but you already know the answer. “Come on! My family owns a restaurant! We have the best curry around!” 

“I-I do not have Ryo—“

“That’s ok! I own the restaurant too!” you say with blazing confidence. Taking his hand, you guide him to the building.

Through free curry eating and soft chatter, a friendship blossoms.

* * *

Ultimately, however, when you two turned eight, you caught yourself staring wistfully. You watched as he punched the same lone tree, over and over again. 

By the fifth time you found yourself staring quietly, never caught, you knew your feelings were beyond “friendly.” It was only until he graduated did you find the right word. 

Love. 

* * *

“(y/n)!” Lee shouts, waving boisterously. You sweep at the dust in the front of the restaurant. You can’t help but return the wave, butterflies erupting in your insides. 

“Lee-kun! What’s up?”

Honestly, he looks adorable with his new look. You’ve since gotten used to it, but the bowl cut and green jumpsuit to imitate his sensei was no short of  _ cute _ . Not to mention they look like father and son; not that you’ve ever pointed that out. Lee would probably get all flustered and embarrassed. You decided long ago to spare him the stuttery excuse. 

“Can we talk inside over curry?”

You flush, and nod. 

“Sure. Come on.”

You finish up sweeping, and guide him inside. You put away the broom, asking your okaasan for two curries. She gives a knowing smile, but you simply avoid her gaze in return. The last thing you needed was to be flustered and embarrassed. 

After she finishes cooking, you grab one of the plates. Before you can reach for the other, Lee is already grabbing it with a friendly smile. 

“You don’t have to carry your own plate; I’m the one who works here,” you chuckle. 

“It is not fair if I do nothing in return, free or not,” Lee replies stubbornly. You sigh softly, following him to your usual booth. It’s one tucked in the corner by the window, a little safe haven you two accidentally designated. 

Settling into your booth, you two begin to eat in silence for a few moments. Lee smiles brightly after swallowing a portion of curry.

“Your okaasan’s curry is brimming with youth, as always!” he compliments brightly, light practically radiating off him. You giggle, grinning. He pushes another portion into his mouth, humming pleasurably. 

“She always loves your compliments. So, what do you need to talk about?”

Lee swallows, clearing his throat.

“I have been struck with love!” he declares in his Lee way, fist pumping up to his face as he flushes a bright pink. You choke, coughing at his blunt confession. 

“Hu-huh?” you ask, heart fluttering. 

“I have been struck with love!” he repeats, face becoming more serious. You swallow.

“With who?” You know you’d regret this question.

“Haruno Sakura-san. She is an angel sent from the heavens—her beauty is above all else,” he replies sweetly, pressing his hand to his chest.

And life as you know it shatters on impact. 

“O-oh, really?” you ask, forcing a smile on your face. “That’s great! Do you plan on confessing to her?”

He nods, determined. 

“Before the Chunin Exams in a few days! I plan to woo her with my youthful charm!” he explains with energy. You nod, not wanting to look disheartened. 

“I wish you luck then, Lee-kun. Ganbatte!” 

“Thank you, (y/n)! I will succeed in my passionate goal! If I do not, it will be five-hundred laps around Konoha! Yosh!” 

“Hai…”

It’s not long before Lee finishes up his curry, yours going mostly untouched. Once he’s gone, your okaasan gives you a sympathetic look. 

* * *

A long year and some more has passed since then. Lee and the rest of Team Guy have recently become Chunin, after failing the first time. You really don’t like thinking about the aftermath of the first exam; from Lee’s injury, to Orochimaru invading the village, and many other things. The former especially gives you heartache. 

Sure, he’s ok now. But the day you found out, to Tsunade-sama healing him, it was the scariest time of your life. 

“You should really tell him,” Tenten says one day as you two hang out. You two have become close, since while you like Neji enough he was also a little too mean sometimes. At least he’s mellowed out since the first time you met him. Kami, he was  _ insufferable.  _

“Tenten-chan, I can’t. He loves Haruno-san, not me. I want him to be happy, ya’know?” you explain, willing your voice not to crack. You stand over vegetables, chopping them up as you cook for your okaasan and otosan. They were waiting some tables as lunch hour dawns on them, and wanted you to try out taking care of the kitchen. Tenten helps you around the kitchen, watching over some noodles. 

“I know you do. But are  _ you _ happy, (y/n)?”

You sigh.

“No, but that’s not the point. Just because someone dramatically confesses to their love interest who loves someone else in fiction, unearthing buried feelings, doesn’t mean it works in real life.”

“But it’s been eating you up since you two were—how old, again?”

“Eight, I think.”

“So almost a decade,” Tenten concludes. You wince at the revelation. 

“Don’t make it a spectacle,” you groan. Tenten pats your back, giving you a pity look. The worst thing is that she’s right; it  _ has _ been a long, long time. 

_ ‘But that doesn’t matter,’ _ you bitterly conclude with finality. 

Lee loves Sakura, and if you have to be the best friend and not the love interest, then so be it. 

* * *

And you told yourself that, over and over, for another month. 

* * *

You sit on the very bench where you met Lee all those years ago, slouched as you stare at the cobblestone underfoot. Your thoughts whirl in your conscious mind, too muddled to make out. The nightly breeze brushes through your hair, making you close your eyes and sigh with exhaustion.

The call of your voice perks you up, the familiar cadence of Lee’s voice echoing into the night air. You sit up, turning to see him waving boisterously. He’s gotten much taller since the Chunin Exams, wearing his flak jacket with pride. You smile softly, waving back at him. 

“I am doing my nightly jog! Would you care to join me?” Lee asks, jogging in place. You snicker softly at his energy; it’s a mystery how he can sleep when he has so much energy even at this time. Does he ever get tired?

“Sure, Lee-kun.” One lap or two wouldn’t hurt; he knows your limits are much more tighter than his. You stretch—”Stretching before and after exercise is important!” Lee reminds you—and join him in his jogging. “Where’s Gai-sensei?” you question. 

“He is on a mission! But I must keep to my schedule, with or without him!” Lee replies, keeping a steady pace so you can keep up with him. It’s adorable how much he refuses to betray his routine, even if it was one that included his sensei.

“I see.” You nod. 

“Can I ask you a question?” he asks, onyx irises pinned straight ahead. You nod again, adding a hum after realizing he might not see that. “Is something wrong?”

You nearly trip. Scratch that; you  _ do _ stumble, but you don’t fall. 

Lee pauses in his jogging, steadying you carefully while fretting. 

“I am sorry, (y/n)!” he apologizes, but your arms just shake as his warm, bandaged hands keep support on your shoulders. “You have just been very quiet lately when we eat together, I have been worried!” he explains. “I do not mean to pry; if this is an issue you do not want to talk about, that is ok!” 

“Lee-kun! It’s alright! You just… caught me off guard,” you admit, a bit bashful. You’re not a very clumsy person, so the embarrassment of nearly faceplanting in the dirt was getting to you. 

“I am still sorry!” you sigh, smiling softly as you put your hands on his. Due to your eyes looking elsewhere, you miss the blatant red that blotches his face. 

“It’s ok!” you reassure again with a chuckle. You then take pause again, trying to string your thoughts together into a coherent sentence. “I suppose…” You hesitate, then. “How is your arm and leg doing?”

Not the sentence that was bugging you the most. But it was high up there. 

Now Lee is caught off guard, blinking in surprise at your sudden inquiry. His carefree self melts away, revealing a more serious Lee. 

“The anniversary of your surgery passed recently, so I just…” You nibble nervously on your lip, still not being able to meet his face. 

“I have been doing great,” he reassures, his voice much softer. 

“Sorry, I can’t stop thinking about it lately, I guess.”

“(y/n)...”

“It often worries me if the surgery hadn’t succeeded, and you’d be stuck with an unfortunate life, and… I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and I haven’t stopped thinking about you since,” you confess. You finally look up, seeing Lee’s expression be rather stoic. It was like he was holding something back. 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you, either,” he says immediately after you finish. You flush, stepping back from him.

“Huh?”

Lee’s face is red, redder than his hitai-ate, but he looks  _ so _ determined. You’re speechless. 

“Sakura-san visiting me every now and then with flowers and conversation made me happy. But you were the one who was on my mind when I was put under! You made me feel youthful and gave me hope!” 

“Lee-kun.”

“When you did not visit me, I always hoped  _ you _ would visit me. It made me sad at the end of the day, when you did not come, and the visiting hours were over.”

“Lee…”

“Sorry!” he apologizes. You laugh quietly. 

“No,  _ I’m _ sorry for not visiting you more often. But I didn’t want to interrupt your time with Sakura-san. You love her, don’t you?”

There’s a sudden stillness. You can hear squirrels in the trees around you two. Lee stares at you with passionate intensity, and you involuntarily shrink under his gaze. 

“No,” he finally answers, voice softer. Where was passionate Lee from before? He hasn’t been this bashful since before he graduated.

Your eyes widen.

“I like you.”

Your world stops next. You two are the only ones to exist now. 

You run and hug him, and he hugs you back. 

“I like you too, Rock!” you say with confidence, beginning to cry. He lets out a cute giggle, one you haven’t heard in a while. Your smile widens, fretting as you see he’s crying too. 

This was a start. A good start. 

One you two could work with. 

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly didn't want to make this too too long or complicated, just something simple to make people all fuzzy inside :) Lee's my baby boy baby son, he deserves a youthful romance.
> 
> Maybe I'll write a prequel about Lee's surgery who knows. (Also, if you hadn't guessed, the reader never was told that Lee's surgery was potentially fatal. Just that there would be consequences)
> 
> Thank you @seiinpaii on twitter for requesting! This story was a fun writing exercise for Lee!!


End file.
